Former Grafton basketball star Elijah Moore commits to Virginia State

Elijah Moore of Grafton gets the shot over Brandon Pugh of Warhill during the first half of their game Wednesday at Grafton. No Mags, No Sales, No Internet, No TV

Elijah Moore of Grafton gets the shot over Brandon Pugh of Warhill during the first half of their game Wednesday at Grafton. No Mags, No Sales, No Internet, No TV (Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press)

Elijah Moore, who earned first-team all-state basketball honors in leading Grafton High to consecutive Group AA Division 4 state tournament finals, committed Friday to play for Virginia State University in Petersburg.

Grafton coach Jeremy Jordan said that Moore was the top recruiting priority for Lonnie Blow, a former Old Dominion assistant who was named the Trojans' coach 10 days ago. Blow coached three seasons at VSU's Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association rival St. Augustine's of Raleigh, N.C., compiling a 63-27 record and leading the Falcons to a CIAA title.

“I like the coach and the coaching staff, and how they are focused on keeping me in good shape academically,” Moore said.

Moore had received a number of Division I scholarship offers: Howard, Central Connecticut State, Norfolk State, VMI and The Citadel among them. He did not qualify academically to play next year on the Division I level and had recently considered attending junior college or prep school to qualify.

But Jeremy Jordan, his coach at Grafton, thinks that Moore's decision to play for Division II school Virginia State is wise.

“The most important thing is that he's going to get a free education, but he's also getting a chance to play locally at a place where he'll play right away,” Jordan said. “When you're a guy like Elijah, and you play all game every game, the last thing you want to do is sit.”

Instead, Moore will run … most of the time.

“They like to get up and down the floor and score in transition,” Moore said of the Trojans. “They'll slow it down sometimes, like we did at Grafton.

“Their style of play is a lot like ours at Grafton. Coach Blow is a good guy.”

Jordan said Blow, who was on the staff of ODU's 2011 Colonial Athletic Association champs and also guided Granby High of Norfolk to a Group AAA state title, is “on Cloud Nine” about getting Moore's commitment.

“Any time you get a new coach, there's going to be some growing pains, but he has a great outlook about the future of Virginia State basketball,” Jordan said. “It's a good fit for Elijah.”

In Moore, the Trojans get a player with the size to play inside, but one with the range to shoot outside. Moore's signature moment in high school was a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Grafton a 56-53 win over Tabb for the 2012 Region I title.